September Whitetail Scouting Update

If you’re like me and you’re not too fond of this end of summer heat… your mind starts to wonder to those frost ridden mornings of October and November. Counting down the days until the bow opener and you begin to finalize a game plan for the beginning of the 2022 season. Maybe you already have a buck from last season that’s at the top of your list for this fall or you’re still waiting for him to show up. Either way, the days are getting shorter and hunters across the Midwest are chomping at the bit to start off the 2022 whitetail season.

End of Month Weather Conditions Looking Promising…

Here at Heartland Lodge, we’ve been busy monitoring trail cameras, mowing our clover food plots, over-seeding a few of our fall plots with oats and rye, and fine tuning our treestand set ups. So far, this September has been fairly mild and wet. Over the last few weeks, we’ve received several timely rains. With all the precipitation our food plots are looking very lush to say the least! Looking ahead, it looks like a major heat dome will be bringing more summer-like weather conditions for the next few weeks before starting to cool off just before the season opener with temperatures forecasted to be in the 70’s and low temperatures in the 50’s. Although I’m ready for the 80–90-degree temperatures to be over with, our brassica food plots will flourish in this late summer heat!

Moving into Fall Ranges & Changing Food Sources

The whitetails are still feeding heavily on the several thousand acres of late planted soybeans here in Pike County. Soon the bachelor’s of summer will be growing tired of each other as the number of daylight hours dwindle and testosterone levels rise. New bucks will start to show up on trail cameras as they shift to fall ranges. As the soybeans and corn begin to dry up in moisture content, whitetails will begin feeding more on anything with a little more moisture content in them such as alfalfa, broad leaf browse and our food plots of clover, oats, rye, turnips and radishes. Soft mass such as persimmons, apples, etc. and all different varieties of acorns will be at the top of the list.

October Hunts Available!

As the season approaches, we’ll be keeping close tabs on the different phases of the whitetail’s world and preferred food sources as we make the final preparations for the 2022 deer season. If you are looking to schedule a last-minute hunt for October, we do have a few hunt spots open, Click Here to View Hunt Dates/ Rates for this Season. 

Bowhunting October Trophy Whitetails >>

Trail Camera Pictures >>

2022 Whitetail Hunt Packages >>

Zach Jumps

Zach@HeartlandLodge.com

217-982-4039

Last Updated: September 15th, 2022